Burbank, CA Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

The City of Burbank treats short-term rentals (stays of less than 30 consecutive days) as a Hotel/Motel use that is prohibited in all residential zones. The Burbank Zoning Code ordinance amending Sections 10-1-203, 10-1-602, and 10-1-627 defines HOTEL and MOTEL to mean 'a commercial establishment or private residence (all or part) that provides guests with overnight accommodations, that do not exceed 30 days, in exchange for monetary compensation,' and expressly states that 'Hotel uses include bed and breakfasts, short term rentals, and vacation rentals. Hotel uses of any kind are not permitted in residential zones' (same language applies to Motel uses). The ordinance amended the R-1/R-1-H use table (Table 10-1-602) and the multiple-family use table (Table 10-1-627) to list 'Boarding House' and 'Hotel/Motel' as expressly prohibited uses, 'to eliminate any uncertainty by a reader that Boarding Houses, Hotels and Motels are prohibited in all residential zones.' On August 23, 2021 the Burbank Planning Board considered a proposed Article 28 (Title 3, Chapter 4) that would have allowed STRs in R-1, R-1-H, R-2, R-3, and R-4 zones under a business license capped at 600 citywide, limited to a host's primary residence for a maximum of 120 days per year; that licensing program was not adopted, and STRs remain prohibited. Because no STR permit program exists, there is no City application, registration, or zone-clearance pathway to operate a short-term rental lawfully.